tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133 2007-10-22T15:44:16Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.3409 2007-10-22T15:18:11Z 2007-10-22T15:44:16Z

It's a typical Monday morning for me: It's between 10 and 11, I'm in my Dad's office, and I'm preparing myself for my usual 12:00 presentation in my Foreign Language Teaching Methods class. This Monday seems to be more laid-back...

Laura It's a typical Monday morning for me: It's between 10 and 11, I'm in my Dad's office, and I'm preparing myself for my usual 12:00 presentation in my Foreign Language Teaching Methods class. This Monday seems to be more laid-back that other Mondays, but that doesn't always mean great things. Last Monday I was horribly frantic, so much that I left my presentation powerpoint on my laptop at home rather than on my flashdrive. You'd be amazed how one can draw various famous paintings with dry-erase markers when forced to (stay tuned for my masterpieces of "Field of Poppies", "Lavender Mist" and "American Gothic" all in the stellar medium of dry-erase markers and board). Thankfully today I'm much more prepared and I'm doing a presentation about shopping in Spain and how to ask for prices. My authentic materials? My favorite skirt and blouse bought in Seville. All in all this class has been very trying and challenging, but I know I'll leave in April thinking it was one of the better classes for me throughout my whole EMU career. Until then, we're taking it presentation to presentation! I finally have a Student teaching placement! I'm going to be at Huron High School in New Boston, MI. I met with the teacher last Tuesday, and I think it'll be a terrific match. He's very outgoing, he has a projecting voice, and his main goal is to have the students learn and love Spanish each and every day. He starts off each class with the students saying, "Hola, Sr. Cramb! Ensenanos mucho hoy!" which translates to, "Hi Mr. Cramb. Teach us a lot today!" The students think it's funny and it's an energetic way to have them start off in Spanish. From then on, he was showing me the materials, giving me hints on how he teaches things, and even saying "Hey, if you feel any of this needs to change, even the seating chart, you're welcome to it!" He's just as eager to learn from me as I am to learn from him. He even says that this could possibly turn full-time for me next fall! I'm so very excited for this. I even had to start my speeches about how much I'll miss my time here at EMU. I was talking with students applying to be Fast Track group leaders in AVP, and I was telling them how much this job meant to me, and I truly had to fight back some tears. I even had a woman on a tour (she was one of our Associate VP of Finance candidates) ask me what made me love EMU so much, and after a short pause and a deep breath, I told her it was because Eastern gave me a home. After my freshman year at another college, I felt broken down and very lost as to where my place was, and everything about Eastern fit so well. It will be immensely hard to leave the place that has given me so much, but I know I will head on out to bigger and better things. Every method of learning, whether in the classroom or not, has taught me invaluable lessons, even if they require me to truly pick my feet up every Monday morning! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.2819 2007-08-07T13:39:10Z 2007-08-07T14:16:34Z

I returned to a great place in my life recently - Marching Band camp. As part of my program at EMU, I'm required to have 40 hours of pre-student-teaching in my target age group, and helping with Saline's band camp...

Laura I returned to a great place in my life recently - Marching Band camp. As part of my program at EMU, I'm required to have 40 hours of pre-student-teaching in my target age group, and helping with Saline's band camp fulfilled all of those. It was held at Spring Arbor University for 5 days and my job was to help with the music, help learn the moves for the show, and essentially be a chaperone for the 22 girls on my floor. This became a learning experience beyond what I thought it would be! I was a proud marching band member all four years of high school (trumpets!) and I was able to relive the fun once again. The time with friends was still there for me since a lot of the other staff ended up being people I went to high school with and a few of them were close friends of mine. Nothing seems better than 5 days away from the parents, being with your best friends, and doing something you absolutely love... and being 21 didn't change that for me. The added difference was that I as handed extra responsibilities. The first day was spent with numerous hours trying to find out how to turn a blank soccer field into a marching band field (there was no football team in sight, so it became a marching band field). My middle-school band teacher, Mr. Mason, turned out to be a geometrical genius with the angles and equations needed to map out the distances on the field. "Hypotenuse," "congruence," and "A-squared plus B-squared equals C-squared" had to all come back to me quickly, but I realized that soon my role would lie in the physical lining of the field instead of the brains behind it (and I was ok with that). During those hours we also get to watch the beginning rehearsal where they started combining marching with playing, and as soon as I heard that drumline cadence again, I definitely got goosebumps. It's amazing how just a series of a few sounds can make you smile so quickly. I gravitated to the piccolo section when helping in field rehearsals (where they learn the moves for the half-time shows) since their music teacher wasn't there most of the day. They had many freshmen and two of them freshmen boys! I immediately had respect for them to so proudly stand out in a section that's so predominately girls. They even eagerly learned a marching technique (backward right slide) that the band didn't learn in fundamentals until a few days later. I certainly struggled with the section at various times, but they eventually fought fatigue and the heat to be one of the most efficient sections of the band. When they heard Mr. Lampman say "Way to hustle, piccolos!", their energy went from a 9 to an 11 (and I promised a happy dance if he said that, so I got to make them laugh with my happy dance). I also had two of those great teacher moments when you realize that you've made a difference and a connection: 1) On the 4th day, the piccolo's sectional was changed from musical to marching without my knowledge. In voices of desperation, the girls asked me where I was that afternoon and I responded that I was actually napping. They told me about the change and said, "We needed you there! We didn't have our moral support! Why weren't you there?" I was heart-broken to realize that I wasn't there for them, but I was also so touched that they had come to rely on me. I promised that I'd be there for them the rest of camp and that if they had anything else they needed, I was in 201 Gamma and to wake me up! 2) On the day of the performance, right as they were milling on the back sideline right before the first step-off, I went to congratulate my piccolos and told them how great they'd do, a few of them gave me hugs and told me how excited they felt and how they felt very prepared. It was nice to see that they learned a lot and I was there to help them! All in all, there was a good deal of stress, sunburn, and fatigue, but it was a great experince and I got to relive all the angst, hard work, and fun that is band camp. I think this gave me just another insight into what my job will be in about a year. It won't be my main definition, but it will be the best outlet for myself and my strengths. Who knows, I could be a Spanish Teacher and Assistant Marching Band Director...? :) tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.2513 2007-06-25T18:55:44Z 2007-06-25T19:30:26Z

The last two spring and summer semesters have been the same: a class or two, maybe a vacation here and there, and tons of work! My daily life from 8-5 has been all work all the time. After a coupld...

Laura The last two spring and summer semesters have been the same: a class or two, maybe a vacation here and there, and tons of work! My daily life from 8-5 has been all work all the time. After a coupld of weeks, I have finally gotten used to it, and I actually find solace in the day-to-day grind. It's just strange when I have a day off that I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself. I find just lounging around all day makes me feel unproductive and poor. This is not the same girl from the end of the winter semester, I assure you! Classes seem to be more stressful during this time, too. My Spanish class is supposed to be a year's worth of material stuffed into a 4-month semester, but we're having to cram it into 2 months. That requires a lot of homework and a lot of studying, but it also means 2 hours and 40 minutes of total Spanish. If nothing else, I am still able to get studying done and spend good time with friends on the evenings. People like Mom, Dad, Tim, Brent, Kate, Dave, and Kathryn are making my nights very worthwhile. There are still a lot of things to be done in the Spring and Summer as well. I need to contact my cooperating teacher at Livonia Franklin High School for my pre-student-teaching observations in the fall as well as talk with the principal at University Prep High School to figure out how my time there will be spent. I also have to get my wrist and arm checked out and possibly get (eek!) surgery done... Mysterious pain shouldn't be ingored for a year, just so you know. I also have to figure out how to spend my July 4th weekend (vacation!) as well as what to do at the end of August. Maybe a Myrtle Beach trip? In my new fascination with running, I've also been regularly reading the forums at the Runners World website. Today, we posted our individual workouts for the day as well as the question of whether we journaled. One person said that, yes, he journaled, and to keep every day as positive as possible, he wrote down 5 things he was thankful for each day. So in that spirit, to close out the entry, here are my 5 things: - Even if one limb seems to be finicky, I at least have 3 others that work very well. - A stable job with great co-workers - 2 parents who I still love to spend time with - Waking up each morning to my cat's cute fuzziness and purring - My new khakis that were a screaming good deal and fit beautifully! They also helped me realize my hidden tailoring skills... tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.2456 2007-06-13T18:16:57Z 2007-06-13T18:58:09Z

(um... believe me, I know it's been far too long since I've updated. Sorry, Grandma :)) This past weekend we went out to Boston for my sister's graduation. Melanie is now a proud double graduate from MIT, both undergraduate and...

Laura (um... believe me, I know it's been far too long since I've updated. Sorry, Grandma :)) This past weekend we went out to Boston for my sister's graduation. Melanie is now a proud double graduate from MIT, both undergraduate and now Master's degree, in Aerospace Engineering. Although she jokes that as cool as many people thinks it is, she feels it's just comparable to automotive engineering or train engineering, it's still an incredible feet. The trip was from Thursday to Saturday and it was a well deserved vacation. Commencement was on Friday, and I would've gotten a picture had the "bouncers" of the event not sent me repeatedly back to my seat. So, in arguing with where I could/couldn't stand, I ended up not hearing Melanie's name. That was not nice at all. We also sat in front of a few families from Spain, so I did end up spending a good deal of time listening to the accent, key words, fun slang, etc. (how did I end up missing Spain this much?). So, what did I do for the other 2 hours? Yep, cross-stitching. It's a great way to pass the time while still carrying on conversations with the parents and Josh. I also finally was able to meet Josh! He is Melanie's boyfriend of two years, and I was so hoping to meet him now that everyone else had months before. I joked that all I'd be doing is interrogating him and shining a light in his eyes, but he just was too nice and respectable of a guy that I felt comfortable quickly with him. But, I had to be just a little silly and hand him a peace offering - a cherry Ring Pop. Early in August, Melanie will start off working in the real world ...again! She has a job in Washington D.C. with an aerospace firm, and it's making me want to be in her shoes. Graduation for me is a less than a year off, and it'll be nice to see what's out there. tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.2073 2007-04-27T18:52:45Z 2007-04-27T19:27:33Z

Well, that's all folks! The semester is over! Finals week was this past week and now everything has come to a close for the semester. In essence, it was a good semester, and now I only have the spring/summer and...

Laura Well, that's all folks! The semester is over! Finals week was this past week and now everything has come to a close for the semester. In essence, it was a good semester, and now I only have the spring/summer and the fall left of classes before I student teach next winter. So... to sum up... - My assessment class was a good class. It was full of practical knowledge, it wasn't too stressful, and my professor was as excited as anyone could possibly be about creating good tests for our subject area. Never have I seen someone have so much fun discussing essay questions. Similarly, I made friends in there which I hope to not lose. Chris, who lives in Saline and works at a restaurant there; Lauren, the other Spanish major in our group who was just as fascinated with Cuban culture as I am with Spanish culture; Heather, who is my ultimate hockey buddy and who is willing to go to a Wings game with me once the prices go down (most likely next season...). All in all, it was a good class! - Spanish was a great joy. As odd as this sounds coming from a Spanish major, I've never received an A in a college-level Spanish class. I've always had some struggling, but I just would keep coming back for more. Thank goodness for my time in Spain, though, since this is the best my spanish has ever been. It's also helpful that the professor I had was as in love with Spain as I am, and he also has become a professor that I admire and will miss (he's retiring). I couldn't stand him when I got to Eastern, and now I've come to really enjoy classes with him. And, for the first time in my life, a Spanish class was ::gasp:: easy! - Ah, Edward Sidlow. My American Presidency professor has possibly now trumpted Jeffrey Bernstein as the best professor I've had here. He is immensley knowledgeable on political science and has a wit about him that is perfect. He's aptly scarcastic, but still not politically biased. He shares funny, but pertinent, presidential stories and goes on various tangents that really do relate back to the original topic. Even though he claims that the presidency isn't his forte, he still is a wealth of knowledge. So, what will be my last political science class at EMU? Congressional Procedure with Edward Sidlow. - As for work? With a smooth adjustment, a good schedule, and even a promotion, it's been a good semester for work. I readjusted well after being away for a semester, and I've come to enjoy my job more and more. I feel more valued and I've gotten closer to co-workers. It's a great job to have, and I'll be sad to leave it in 10 months. eek! It's been a great semester, and thankfully a fairly relaxing one! None of my classes were too demanding and every one of them was enjoyable in one way or another. What's the biggest sign of happiness in a semester, though? Being sad when you have to miss a class. I had to miss a few during the middle of March and I ended up missing some of my friends as well as what could've been covered in lecture. Nerdy? Maybe. Nonetheless, it's also nice to have a finals week where you don't go completely out of your mind with stress! Now to Spring and Summer... tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.1829 2007-04-04T20:31:30Z 2007-04-04T20:43:59Z

I grew up in a household with two older sisters. We didn't have any borthers and I certainly wished that I had had a brother. However, later in my growing up I realized that I actually liked being the youngest...

Laura I grew up in a household with two older sisters. We didn't have any borthers and I certainly wished that I had had a brother. However, later in my growing up I realized that I actually liked being the youngest and my wish for a brother kinda faded away. However, from early January until last weekend, I got the experience of what it would kind of be like to have a brother. His name is Thinh (pronounced like "ten") and he is from Vietnam, specifically Saigon (or what they now refer to as Ho Chi Minh City). He's about 25 years old and is studying Hotel and Restaurant Managment. He came to EMU actually because of my older sister, Katherine, who was studying in China at the time they met. Katherine travelled to Vietnam with one of her friends, who happened to be Thinh's sister, and Thinh decided that he'd look into EMU as a good transfer school. He had studied in Vietnam as well as in Canada for a few years, and his English was remarkably good. So, in the very beginning of January, he came to our house to stay for a while until he could get settled into an apartment around EMU. What a joy he was to have in our house! He's easy to talk to, very bubbly, and picks up jokes and banter amazingly well. He enjoyed seeing the joking relationship that my mom and I have and easily fit right in. We'd spend many nights teaching him about popular American food and just teasing eachother about various things. Thinh soon discovered how wonderful s'mores are and how to effectively use the word "snotty" in a joking reference (I knew he understood it when he used it on me about 5 minutes later). It was great to have younger male influence in our house and to have someone who was just so happy and humorous. He sadly decided to transfer to a school in Chicago after this semester, and last Saturday we all helped him cram his stuff into my sister's Honda Civic. Even until him leaving, we were still poking fun at each other and enjoying each other's quirks. He vehimently prohibited me from carrying his heavy suitcases, yet he still rolled me through the parking lot on his swivel chair. My mom also reassured him (as well as me) that we'd be down to visit as soon as he felt comfortable in his new apartment and college. Never have a fully experienced what having a brother would be like, but I feel like I got closer with Thinh. However, the positives are that I have someone to make me great Vietnamese food, I have another reason to go into Chicago, and I will always have a buddy to help me with 500-piece puzzles. tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.1771 2007-03-28T13:21:16Z 2007-03-28T13:47:37Z

One of the new popular movies in Spain is "Volver", which is about a woman's relationship with her daughter, her sister, her nutty aunt, the death of her grand mother, and her supposedly dead mother. She deals with each...

Laura One of the new popular movies in Spain is "Volver", which is about a woman's relationship with her daughter, her sister, her nutty aunt, the death of her grand mother, and her supposedly dead mother. She deals with each one and all together in different ways, but the real premise is her realizing the true importance of family around you during tough times. "Volver" means "to return" so she ends up returning to her comfortable family roots, and I found myself doing the same thing this past weekend. Last Tuesday, my maternal Grandmother ("Gran") passed away. She and I were certainly close, but she had been not doing well for about three years, and we knew she didn't want to live the way she was living. Death can be a relief in a sense, but there's still no way to prepare yourself fully for the news. I dropped everything and spent the next 5 days surrounded by immediate family, and extended family that came in from around the country. There are few things more comfortable than the love and support of family, and few things more fun than the banter that goes on when you're all together. Suddenly, conversations with aunts became a daily joy, hugs from my mom became almost hourly, and watching my cousin's son, Nicholas, became a great, cute distractor. On Sunday, we had an Open House for Gran since she was emphatic that a funeral was too depressing and she didn't want that. We put up lots of photos of her througout the years, some of her crafts (showing her many hobbies), we had great food, no one wore black, and we essentially spent time sharing stories and connecting with her friends and our family. I learned more about Gran over the week, too. I found myself missing her a lot, but also feeling grateful that she had lived the life she did. Being faced with life's mortality can be extremely hard, being around people who so truly love and support each other can ease your mind. A few years back, I had finished knitting a very intricate sweater that Gran had started and gave it to her for Christmas. Even seeing that sweater again on Sunday was a mix of sad and comforting. Knitting is one of my biggest hobbies and I will always connect it with her. Now I'm back to classes and work, but I'm still thinking about the weekend. It's amazing how quickly priorities can change and then how they can nag at you! I'm so glad I spent the time with my family that I did. Granted, my situtation wasn't as strange as Penelope Cruz's situation in "Volver", mine still had great importance to me. I just hope Gran's having a blast right now :) ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.1619 2007-03-07T17:58:07Z 2007-03-19T16:39:25Z

The REC/IM is really our Recreation and Intermurals building, but it fondly known as the REC/IM to many EMU students and staff. They have two pools, thirteen raquetball courts, four basketball courts (one always used as indoor volleyball), a...

Laura The REC/IM is really our Recreation and Intermurals building, but it fondly known as the REC/IM to many EMU students and staff. They have two pools, thirteen raquetball courts, four basketball courts (one always used as indoor volleyball), a huge weight/workout room, gymnasiums, in indoor track, and even a cafe. This place is great! Lately I've been going there more and more trying to fit in some more workout time in my week, and I end up spending an hour there at least 4 to 5 times a week. Why? Since I've become my own worst pet-peeve by driving to school in the winter when I live only 15 minutes away (walking), I've decided that I need to get the exercise that I've been missing at the Rec now, as well as this being a form of punishment. In any case, I've also taken this time to realize the jewels that the REC/IM really does have to offer. Here are some fun discoveries: -In these cold winter months, a walk down the hallway to the women's locker room is heavenly since you also walk past one of the entries to the olympic-sized pool. It's always so nice and toasty in there! -The workout space on the fourth floor is great for my 45-minute elliptical sessions since you can open one of the windows, do some great people watching, and even have it quiet enough to try to read! -I no longer fear that I'll fall off the elliptical machines due to my obvious lack of coordination. I think I can finally keep myself steady for 50 minutes! -If you can catch the HD, widescreen TV unattended (and with minimal boys around), you can relax with your powerade and some Project Runway. -You can look all buff and hard-working when the tours come through the weight room :) All in all, I'm enjoying all the little things about the Rec that make it unique and enjoyable.My only gripe is that somehow everyone has the same thought as me on Saturdays: Get there right when it opens so the weight room is all your own! Yeah, that didn't work out so well for me last Saturday. Maybe next week. Thank you, REC/IM :).]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.1536 2007-02-27T19:19:20Z 2007-03-19T16:42:46Z

(My cat, Diego, is relaxing and being his cuddly self) Spring break is a time every year when students and faculty get to take some time off and relax for about a week. It's good time to recoup from...

Laura (My cat, Diego, is relaxing and being his cuddly self) Spring break is a time every year when students and faculty get to take some time off and relax for about a week. It's good time to recoup from the stresses of the first half of the semester (as well as midterm exams) and get ready for the second half of the semester. My friend Dave spent some of this week in Florida, my other friend Paco is in San Francisco, and where am I? Cold, snowy Ypsi. I am spending the week to relax a bit buit also get a few extra hours at work, and by a few hours, I mean an extra 27 of them. As much as I'd like to be somewhere warm, I am enjoying the fact that while my friends are spending a good deal of money, I'm making some extra money instead. This week is also sweeter by the fact that I don't have a lot of homework for over the break. Instead I have evenings to have dinner with friends and family, and also time to work on my 1,000 piece puzzle. I'm one hip, happenin' college student, huh! One thing I am really excited about is that next Thursday I get to have dinner with my former piano teacher from my hometown. Mrs. Franklin was my piano teacher for nearly 12 years when I was growing up, and we both have loads of stories of eachother and our fun times together. Few people outside of my family watched me grow up like Mrs. Franklin did. Once I graduated high school, I stopped taking lessons and a part of me has always regretted it. Although, if I started back up again, I wonder if she'd still give me the same rate of $5 per lesson :) If nothing else, it'll be really fun to see someone who knows me and my family so well. Good girl time, right? Spring/Summer/Fall 2007 classes are now available to look up online. I realized that with two classes in the spring, one class in the summer, and three in the fall will make me done with classes at EMU. After that is student teaching, then graduation, and then being a full-fledged adult! I've been waiting for this! Well, maybe not the adult part, but I'm ready to see what could be awaiting me in the teaching field. Even though I haven't graduated yet, I feel so prepared to go out there. Way to go, EMU, for preparing your students so well! I'll hate giving up classes, for sure, but I'll also hate giving up my job. All the hugs from Stacy in AVP, leading around Fast Track groups in the spring, lively tour groups, Grilled Cheese Fridays at DC1 (compliments of Friday morning tours), bantering with BJ about my little study abroad trip, and the list goes on. Well, I still have over a year until I really have to be sent outta here. Think they'll be sick of me by then?]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.1378 2007-02-06T18:17:32Z 2007-02-27T18:04:10Z

The first snow of every year is always so mystical. It's the first time in months where you see the delicate flakes floating through the sky and in your head you start hearing jingle bells and carolers. Well, that's...

TargetX http://www.targetx.com The first snow of every year is always so mystical. It's the first time in months where you see the delicate flakes floating through the sky and in your head you start hearing jingle bells and carolers. Well, that's usually in December. I was gone for most of December, but from what I saw (and what I was told), December was devoid of snow. Snow now seems like an insult. All you see is blowing snow, icy roads, salt trucks, and all that slush that seems to find it's way up your pantlegs and all over your nice shoes. The nice boots from Spain? Yeah, they're now grey from all the salt. boo. :( I sent a picture of the ice-covered trees to my intercambio (language partner), Juan, and he replied that the sight of all the ice was certainly unnerving, but what was worse was that he had never seen anything like that in his lifetime. It still seems to baffle me that there are people in this world who routinely miss the highs and lows that winter brings. As much as I hate the damage cold winds do to my poor face and how my car turns into a hockey puck when I'm driving, there's still a quintessential beauty to gently falling snow in the evening. Not to mention the comfy joy you feel when you see 2 feet of snow outside and "Eastern Michigan University" under the school closings ticker in the morning. :) I certainly have to admit that Eastern's campus is one of the most beautiful campuses I've seen, and even in the bitter cold of winter, I still like walking around and seeing the snow-covered buildings and trees. Even though this week has seen some snow, the more prevalent phenomenon has been the blistering cold. The heat at the Admissions Front Desk has been faulty (currently it's 60.3 degrees!) and the windchills have been in the negative numbers. The weather has been so frigidly cold that my morning walk to campus made ice form on my eyelashes. Yes, ice. It's just part of Michigan, though. We have to get used to cold. If we can't (or if I can't), looks like a teaching job in Arizona might be the best fit for me! If nothing else, this winter wonderland gets me closer to my favorite time of year on campus: Spring. A walk from Pierce to Welch is always so wonderfully intoxicating walking past those lilac bushes... Until then, I'll be dreaming of making snow angels and hoping that 3 inches of snow is enough to cancel classes."]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/emich/Laura//133.1453 2007-01-23T20:43:04Z 2007-02-27T16:51:47Z

In Spain right now one of the biggest singers is David Bisbal, who is actually the first season's runner-up of their version of American Idol (Operacion Triunfo). The first single from his latest CD is "Quien Me Iba a...

Eastern Michigan University In Spain right now one of the biggest singers is David Bisbal, who is actually the first season's runner-up of their version of American Idol (Operacion Triunfo). The first single from his latest CD is "Quien Me Iba a Decir" which means, "Who was going to tell me?" That song seems to be so fitting during my first few weeks back. I had heard that the culture shock that you feel when you go into a new country can be daunting, and some even said that you feel a similar culture shock when you come back to your home country after a study- abroad program. I never truly believed it, but now I do. When I came back home, it was just the beginning of Christmas break and the adjustment was fairly comforting with family, friends, good food, and all sorts of home comforts. I really missed staying up talking with my mom, making Christmas cookies with my sister, watching movies and knitting with my friend, Kate, etc. As much as I felt comfortable again the next adustment was going back to classes and work. I should've adjusted smoothly and happily, but who was going to tell me that this adustment would be harder than usual? I now spend lots of time in the Admissions Visit Programs office in the new Student Center and I must mention that this building opened when I was gone and now I don't know where certain offices are. It's a little sad when I used to be such an expert on Eastern and now I've turned into a confused nomad not sure where to go for what. I find I'm rusty on tours, I'm not sure what ringtones mean what in the office phones (which ones I'm supposed to answer) and I couldn't even set up the projector for the welcome presentations if I tried. Why did so much have to change while I was gone? With all this change, though, comes opportunities to learn and grow. I've learned now how truly beautiful University Park is (now that I have a gorgeous view of it every time I'm working), I'm reaquanting myself with the great faculty in the political science department, and I'm also becoming familiar with the glorious food that is Sbarro's. Sure, there are lots of other changes that have had more of an impact on me, but it always seems to be the little ones that are having the most apparent daily effect. So many thanks go out to friends at Eastern and friends/co-workers in admissions who continually show patience with my confusion and struggling readjustment. It's certainly throwing me back to my first year at Eastern, but it's something that we all go through at various times in life, whether it's welcomed or not. So, now I will go back to the reading on the Cuban Missle Crisis I have for my International Law class as well as trying to describe to people exactly where the Office of International Students is. David Bisbal still articulates the feeling of not being fully alerted of the coming confusion, but I bet it won't be as hard as I fear.]]>